call themselves Varunakula Vellala or Varunakula Mudali, after Varuna, the god of the waters. At times of census, many hill Malayalis return themselves as Vellalas, in accordance with their tradition that they are Vellalas who migrated to the hills. Some thieving Koravas style themselves Aghambadiar Vellala or Pillai, and have to some extent adopted the dress and manners of the Vellalas. [138] In Travancore, to which State some Vellalas have migrated, males of the Deva-dasi (dancing-girl) caste sometimes call themselves Nanchinad Vellalas. There is a Tamil proverb to the effect that a Kallan may come to be a Maravan. By respectability he may develop into an Agamudaiyan, and, by slow degrees, become a Vellala. According to another proverb, the Vellalas are compared to the brinjal (Solanum Melongena) fruit, which will mix palatably with anything. The account of the divisions and sub-divisions of the Vellalas recorded above may be supplemented from various sources:-- 1. Arampukutti, or Arambukatti (those who tie flower-buds). According to Mr. J. A. Boyle, [139] the name indicates Vellalas with wreaths of the aram flower, which is one of the decorations of Siva. They are, he writes, "a tribal group established in a series of villages in the Ramnad territory. The family tradition runs that they emigrated five centuries ago from the Tondamandalam, and that the migration was made in devendra vimanam or covered cars; and this form of vehicle is invariably used in marriage ceremonies for the conveyance of the bride and bridegroom round the village. The women never wear a cloth above the waist, but go absolutely bare on breast and shoulders. The two rivers which bound this district on the north and south are rigid limits to the travels of the women, who are on no pretext allowed to cross them. It is said that, if they make vows to the deity of a celebrated temple in Tanjore, they have to perform their pilgrimage to the temple in the most perfect secrecy, and that, if detected, they are fined. Intermarriage is prohibited 'beyond the rivers.' It is, with the men, a tradition never to eat the salt of the Sirkar (Government), or take any service under Government." 2. Chetti. The members of the Vellalan subdivision of Chetti are "said to be pure Vellalas, who have taken the title of Chetti. In ancient times, they had the prerogative of weighing the person of kings on occasion of the Tulabharam ceremony. (See Tulabharam.) They were, in fact, the trading class of the Tamil nation in the south. But, after the immigration of the more skilful Telugu Komatis and other mercantile classes, the hereditary occupation of the Vellan Chettis gradually declined, and consequently they were obliged to follow different professions. The renowned poet Pattanattar is said to have belonged to this caste." [140]